Dataset of oxygen, carbon, and strontium isotope values from the Imperial Roman site of Velia (ca. 1st-2nd c. CE), Italy.

The oxygen (δ18Ocarbonate), strontium (87Sr/86Sr), and previously unpublished carbon (δ13Ccarbonate) isotope data presented herein from the Imperial Roman site of Velia (ca. 1st to 2nd c. CE) were obtained from the dental enamel of human permanent second molars (M2). In total, the permanent M2s of 20 individuals (10 male and 10 female) were sampled at the Museo delle Civiltà in Rome (formerly the Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico "L. Pigorini") and were subsequently processed and analysed at McMaster University. A subsample of teeth (n=5) was initially subjected to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis to assess for diagenetic alteration through calculation of crystallinity index (CI) values. Subsequently, tooth enamel was analysed for δ13Ccarbonate and δ18Ocarbonate (VPDB) using a VG OPTIMA Isocarb isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) at McMaster Research for Stable Isotopologues (MRSI), and 87Sr/86Sr was measured by dynamic multi-collection using a thermal ionization mass spectrometer (TIMS) in the School of Geography and Earth Sciences. The dental enamel isotope data presented represent the first δ18O, δ13Ccarbonate, and 87Sr/86Sr values analysed from Imperial Roman Campania to date, providing data of use for comparative analyses of δ18O, δ13C, and 87Sr/86Sr values within the region and for assisting in documenting human mobility in archaeological contexts. Full interpretation of the δ18O and 87Sr/86Sr data presented here is provided in "Imperial Roman mobility and migration at Velia (1st to 2nd c. CE) in southern Italy" [1].

Vertebral infection in a male individual buried in the monastic cemetery (Cemetery 2) at Ghazali (ca. 670-1270 CE), northern Sudan.

PURPOSE/RESEARCH QUESTION: This article examines pronounced osteoblastic-osteolytic vertebral lesions in a middle adult male (Ghz-2-033), from the Christian Nubian monastic settlement of Ghazali (ca. 670-1270 CE), Sudan, to explore their potential etiology. METHODS: Morphological assessments of sex and age were undertaken in conjunction with macroscopic and radiological methods of assessment for the skeletal lesions documented. RESULTS: Macroscopic assessment of Ghz-2-033 identified mixed osteoblastic-osteolytic lesions in L2-L3 with minor foci in T12-L1, while radiological assessment identified no further lesions. This paleopathological analysis considers tuberculosis, brucellosis, pyogenic intervertebral disc infection, neoplastic conditions, and mycotic infections as potential etiologies. CONCLUSIONS: Tuberculosis is the most probable etiology for the lesions observed. This assessment is based on the morphology of the lesions in conjunction with the known confined living quarters at Ghazali and the presence of tuberculosis vectors (i.e. cattle) in the region. CONTRIBUTIONS TO KNOWLEDGE/ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This brief communication contributes original data documenting the presence of tubercular lesions in a monk buried at the Christian Nubian monastery of Ghazali. On a broader level this study contributes to regional and temporal paleopathological dialogues regarding interactions with pathogens in Christian Nubian monastic contexts. LIMITATIONS FOR THIS STUDY: The potentiality of co-infection with other pathogens (e.g. brucellosis, Staphylococcus) with similar macromorphological traits in skeletal remains cannot be entirely discounted. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: The use of biomolecular analyses may help to clarify the potential presence of tuberculosis in individual Ghz-2-033.

Mapping the origins of Imperial Roman workers (1st-4th century CE) at Vagnari, Southern Italy, using 87 Sr/86 Sr and δ18 O variability.

OBJECTIVES: We obtained the oxygen and strontium isotope composition of teeth from Roman period (1st to 4th century CE) inhabitants buried in the Vagnari cemetery (Southern Italy), and present the first strontium isotope variation map of the Italian peninsula using previously published data sets and new strontium data. We test the hypothesis that the Vagnari population was predominantly composed of local individuals, instead of migrants originating from abroad. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the oxygen (18 O/16 O) and strontium (87 Sr/86 Sr) isotope composition of 43 teeth. We also report the 87 Sr/86 Sr composition of an additional 13 molars, 87 Sr/86 Sr values from fauna (n = 10), and soil (n = 5) samples local to the area around Vagnari. The 87 Sr/86 Sr variation map of Italy uses 87 Sr/86 Sr values obtained from previously published data sources from across Italy (n = 199). RESULTS: Converted tooth carbonate (δ18 ODW ) and 87 Sr/86 Sr data indicate that the majority of individuals buried at Vagnari were local to the region. ArcGIS bounded Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation of the pan-Italian 87 Sr/86 Sr data set approximates the expected 87 Sr/86 Sr range of Italy's geological substratum, producing the first strontium map of the Italian peninsula. DISCUSSION: Results suggest that only 7% of individuals buried at Vagnari were born elsewhere and migrated to Vagnari, while the remaining individuals were either local to Vagnari (58%), or from the southern Italian peninsula (34%). Our results are consistent with the suggestion that Roman Imperial lower-class populations in southern Italy sustained their numbers through local reproduction measures, and not through large-scale immigration from outside the Italian peninsula.

First probable case of scurvy in ancient Egypt at Nag el-Qarmila, Aswan.

To date there has been a lack of palaeopathological evidence for the presence of scurvy in ancient Egypt. In this paper we describe one of, if not the first, differentially diagnosed bioarchaeological cases of subadult scurvy in the region in the skeleton of a 1-year +/- 4-month old infant recovered from the Predynastic site of Nag el-Qarmila (c. 3800-3600 BCE) in Aswan, Egypt. Bony change was observed on the left maxilla and greater wing of the sphenoid bone, left and right mandibular rami, orbits, and zygomatic bones, as well as on the humeri, radii, and femora, all of which appear to be suggestive of scurvy. While the cause of this infant's probable scorbutic state is unknown, various circumstances such as diet and cultural behaviors may have contributed to the condition. Given the current lack of evidence of scurvy from ancient Egyptian contexts, this case study informs on the antiquity of ascorbic acid deficiency in the Old World.

Iliacus-piriformis abscess and septic arthritis from Theban Tomb (TT) 65.

The incomplete skeletonized remains of Person 3/3a, from Shaft Tomb 3 of Theban Tomb (TT) 65, show mixed osteolytic and osteoblastic lesions in the left os coxa, sacrum, and distal right radius, with less pronounced osteoblastic, possibly related lesions elsewhere. Iliacus-piriformis abscess and septic arthritis are deemed primarily responsible while other considered etiological entities are less likely.

A proposed framework for the study of paleopathological cases of subadult scurvy.

Paleopathological investigations of subadult scurvy have seen increasing frequency since the introduction of the "Ortner criteria" of porotic cranial and infracranial lesions. With the rise in bioarchaeological investigations of subadult scurvy there have also been concerns about the applicability of these lesions. In an attempt to further address this ongoing debate this study proposes a framework for looking at the variable stages in which clinical radiological indicators and macroscopically observable skeletal lesions would be expected to occur in cases of subadult scurvy. This article introduces a three phase system for considering the timeframe of subadult scurvy onset and resolution.